Far East of Eden

Directed by Bruce Yonemoto
Featuring Karen Finley and George Takei

The experimental film “Far East of Eden” 2016 features notorious performance artist Karen Finley, directed by video artist Bruce Yonemoto, and narrated by actor and activist George Takei. The film links Donald Trump to a long American history of racial exclusion. The 2016 election was volatile with many American citizens taken aback by the anti-immigrant rhetoric that served as the foundation of Donald Trump’s run for President. But if Trump’s promises of building a wall or banning Muslims from the United States sounded unique or new, they were not. America has seen politicians like Trump before, and their words and policies have had dire consequences.

“Far East of Eden” traces a course from the rhetoric of Senator Phelan, an outspoken opponent of Asian immigration at the turn of the last century, through the internment of Japanese-American families during World War II, to Trump’s flamboyant promises to build a wall between the United States and Mexico. Phelan, himself the son of an Irish immigrant, was a vocal opponent of immigration from China and Japan who campaigned for office under the slogan, “Keep California White.”

Karen Finley delivers a raw, transgressive performance that wickedly parodies Donald J. Trump. She mashes Senator James D. Phelan’s racist rhetoric and Woody Guthrie’s classic lyrics “This land is your land. This land is my land. Let’s make sure it’s not their land.”

The film weaves in George Takei’s personal story as a child recounting his family being taken away to the Japanese American internment camps during World War II. “We were ordered out of our home,” Takei says in the film. “They couldn’t even call us citizens then. We were enemy non-aliens…. We were taken to the horse stables. Thinking back now, I can’t imagine how humiliating and degrading it must have been for my parents.”

“Far East of Eden” traces a course from the rhetoric of Senator Phelan, an outspoken opponent of Asian immigration at the turn of the last century, through the internment of Japanese-American families during World War II, to Trump’s flamboyant promises to build a wall between the United States and Mexico. Phelan, himself the son of an Irish immigrant, was a vocal opponent of immigration from China and Japan who campaigned for office under the slogan, “Keep California White.”

…the jarring juxtaposition of James Phelan and Donald Trump shows just how the rhetoric of racism can span a century.”
—Taylor Lindsay, VICE

More a blunt hammer than entertainment, the film is not really meant to be liked. The significance lies with the back story: A premiere arts program in the Bay Area is dealing very visibly with the racist past of its benefactor. Even a century later, that takes a measure of courage.”
—Scott Herhold, The Mercury News

CREDITS

Director Bruce Yonemoto
Writers Karen Finley
Bruce Yonemoto
Additional Text George Takei
Producer Bryan Jackson
Executive Producers Kelly Sicat
Bruce Yonemoto
Karen Finley
Director of
Photography
Judy Phu
Editor Andy Fedak
Sound Design Mayo Thompson
Costume Design Abra Berman
CAST
Karen Finley Politician
Lucas Sicat Boy
Taro Hattori Gardener
George Takei Narrator
Andrea Blum Party Guests
Elliott Gittelsohn
Wanda Kownacki
Jodi Lomask
Carlos Montalvo
Kathleen Powell
Gregory Sale
Eileen Silver
Hildy Shandell
Jennifer Sylvester
Stefanie Sylvester
Nathan Zanon
Assistant Director Michaela Holland
1st Assistant Camera Jessica Gallegos
2nd Assistant Camera Robbie Alpine
Gaffer Kiva Knight
Electrician Misael Pastor
Key Grip Ernie Kunze
Grip Jesus Esqueda
Production Sound Kevin Que
Make-Up & Hair Ashley Garlick
1st AC – LA Carlos Lopez
2nd AC – LA Mark Quintos
Grip – LA Michael Thomas
Sound Mix Gabriel Verger, Soundchef
Title Art Patty Lin
Additional Music Scott Benzel
“Buttons & Bows” Jay Livingston
Ray Evans
Performed by Tom Watson
Wigs Consultant Darlene Dannenfelser
Legal Representation
for Finley and Yonemoto
Michael Overn, Esq.
Montalvo Arts Center
Executive Director Angela McConnell
Managing Director Kelly Hudson
Director, Lucas Artists Programs Kelly Sicat
Development Director Emma Moon
Director of Legal Services Kaela Bernal
Director of Finance Christa Stiner
Associate Curator Donna Conwell
Associate Director,
Marketing & Communications
Leah Ammon
Residency Manager Lori Wood
Culinary Artist Andrea Blum
Facilities Manager Lonnie Cedillo
Maintenance Lead Dan North
Hakone Estate and Gardens
Executive Director Shozo Kagoshima
Location Assistant Christian Fernandez
Japanese American
National Museum
Director of Programs Clement Hanami
Vice President of Programs Koji Sakai

Far East of Eden was commissioned and produced by the Lucas Artists Residency Program at Montalvo Arts Center, with the generous support of the following producers:

T.M. Ravi and Francine Lejeune
Wanda Kownacki
Glenn and Sherri Osaka
Sudnya Shroff and Nickhil Jakatdar
Tom and Yuko Tiernan

The former home of Senator James Duval Phelan, Villa Montalvo/Montalvo Arts Center is deeply committed to the spirit of the Senator’s bequest to use our 175-acre estate for the advancement of the arts. It is our privilege to support contemporary artists as they address the pressing social and political issues of the past, present, and future.

THE PRODUCERS WISH TO THANK

Board of Trustees, Montalvo Arts Center
Board of Directors, Hakone Gardens
Board of Directors, Japanese American National Museum
Alice Phelan Sullivan Corporation
Art and Public Policy, Tisch School of the Arts, NYU

Holly Poe Durbin
Jay Farrington, Chater Camera
Mat Gleason and Coagula Gallery
Nancy Gray
Kumiko Iwasawa
Dona Ann McAdams
Cathy O’Connor
Violet Overn
David Rincon, UC Irvine Digital Filmmaking
Brad Takei
Johanna Went
Gordon Yamate

Filmed on location in California

Montalvo Arts Center, Saratoga
Hakone Estate and Gardens, Saratoga
Japanese American National Museum, Los Angeles

© 2016 Bruce Yonemoto and Karen Finley